Luke 18:9-14
ICE BREAKER
Think of a time that you were wrong and you knew it.
What was that experience like for you?
Did you try to hide from the humility it brought or did you embrace the humility?
Share with the group what your tendency is when you know you are wrong.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- The Pharisee compares himself to other people.
He looks at the sinful lifestyle of others and then he looks at his good deeds.
Comparison leads him to think he is superior.
How do you compare yourself to others in order to feel superior?
What would be a helpful antidote to doing this?
- To get a clearer picture of your own pride, think about the conflicts you have in your closest relationships. In these conflicts do you find it easy or hard to find fault with others compared to seeing your own fault within the conflicts?
- Where do you see pride in your life? How are you like the Pharisee?
- Jesus delights in saving sinners.
The cry for mercy is always, always answered.
Dane Ortlund states,“If He is the friend of sinners, and if you know yourself to be a sinner, then let Him befriend you more deeply than you ever have.
Open up to Him as you do to no other earthly friend.
Let Him love you as the friend of failures, the invincible ally of the weak.”
As you look at pride in your life this week, ask Him to help you see the depth of His love for you.
At times when we see our sin we can be so vulnerable to discouragement or accusation from the enemy. Yet Jesus delights in offering us mercy.
Share with the group what helps or hinders you in finding Christs’ tenderness toward you when you see your sin.
- Reflect on the notes below for practical ways to fight pride. Share with the group one or two things you would like to begin practicing.
- One way to know whether we are more like the Pharisee or the tax collector is to ask this question:
“Who is Jesus to the Pharisee and who is Jesus to the tax collector?”
The Pharisee does not NEED Jesus.
Do you need all of Jesus and the fullness of who He is? Share your reflections.
NOTES AND QUOTES
Pride can be the undiagnosed poison.
We all need Christ’s help to see our pride and this is exactly what He is trying to do with this story in Luke’s gospel.
We all have a pull to trust in ourselves for our righteousness and then to treat others with contempt–you are beneath me.
The Pharisees’ prays: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men…”
What can help us see our own pride is to ask ourselves the question:
“Is the problem in my family, marriage, or workplace a problem that I contribute to or do I totally ignore my role in it?
Another way to help us to see our pride is to look at when we are hurt by someone.
Find an opportunity to give an unexpected apology this week.
Try to practice being comfortable looking dumb or admitting when you get it wrong.
Three things about the tax collector:
- He stood far off. He knows he has no right to be close to God.
- He does not lift up his eyes.
- He prays: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Many times in Scripture people say this when they are face to face with God.
The cry for mercy is always, always answered.
Dane Ortlund writes the following:
“If He is the friend of sinners, and if you know yourself to be a sinner, then let him befriend you more deeply than you ever have.
Open up to him as you do to no other earthly friend. Let him love you as the friend of failures, the invincible ally of the weak.”
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
The person who is defined by pride is a person who does not know God.
To believe we are righteous in and of ourselves is to deny the gospel.
How do you think the tax collector views Jesus?
Imagine the tax collector hearing that all his debt is paid for and he is now a loved child of God.
Ask your spouse or a friend: “Who do you think Jesus is to me?”
Don’t be satisfied if you don’t have a passion or deep gratitude toward Christ.
4 ways to grow in humility:
- Love Scripture
- Love the church–build relationships with people. Be known, present and faithful.
- Pray for an experiential relationship with Christ. Again, don’t settle for knowing about Him!
- Trust in God’s almost unbelievable grace.
Jesus delights in saving sinners. He is not repulsed by my sin.
Jesus does not delight in saving those who have it all together and are perfect.
We no longer have to have it all together.
